1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interactive service of a digital broadcast, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for storing and reproducing an interactive service capable of efficiently storing and processing interactive signaling information.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, digital broadcast receiving apparatuses including high-capacity recording media such as hard disks are being developed, announced in the market, and commercialized. The apparatus receives a broadcast program selected by a user and records the program on a hard disk. The digital broadcast receiving apparatus is expected to replace a conventional video cassette recorder (VCR) in a rapid manner as the digital broadcast service becomes widely used.
In the digital broadcast service, interactive services which can be interacted with by a user are provided. In order to provide the interactive services, interactive signaling information is continuously included and transmitted in a broadcast stream, considering that one of the characteristics of a broadcast service is that a user can turn on the service any time. Accordingly, when an interactive service is recorded in a conventional method, the interactive signaling information, which is mixed with the interactive service stream, is stored together with the interactive service stream. So, when the recorded interactive service is reproduced, there is a problem in that the load of an apparatus for reproduction is increased, since signal filtering and monitoring using hardware or software must inevitably be performed in order to acquire the interactive signaling information. In particular, when a trick play such as a reverse playback, a high-speed playback, a slow-speed playback, a search, and the like is performed in reproducing an interactive service, it is impossible to process the trick play reflecting an interactive element, since filtering, monitoring, and history-managing operations on the signaling information are difficult.
In addition, the same signaling information included and transmitted in an interactive service stream may be transmitted repeatedly. Accordingly, in a conventional method of storing the signaling information, there is a problem in that redundant information occupying unnecessary storage due to duplication of the same may exist.